Kaius stood at the edge of the clearing, flanked by more guards. His amber eyes reflected the moonlight, cold and assessing as they took in the carnage around us. For a moment, our gazes locked, and thought I saw a flicker of recognition in his expression.
Impossible. The hood concealed my face, the potion masked my scent He couldn’t know it was me.
The momentary distraction cost me. The guard I’d been fighting seized the opportunity, driving his blade deep into my side. Pain exploded through me, stealing my breath. My sword clattered to the ground as I fell to my knees, clutching at the wound.
Through the haze of pain, I was vaguely aware of being surrounded, of rough hands disarming me, of being hauled to my feet. My hood remained in place, my identity concealed–or so I thought.
“Take her to the dungeons,” Kaius ordered, his voice betraying nothing.
*Her.* Not “the intruder” or “the prisoner,” but “her.” Had he recognized me after all?
I was half–dragged, half–carried through familiar corridors, down to the dungeons I knew all too well. The damp stone stairs, the flickering torches, the heavy iron doors – I’d been here before. Who would have thought that in these depths, surrounded by darkness and the echoes of suffering, I wouldn’t feel much fear? Maybe I’d grown numb to it all. The irony wasn’t lost on me was the traitor being dragged before the Alpha King, joining the ranks of those I’d once watched him judge.
– now I
They threw me into a cell, my wounded body hitting the stone floor with enough force to drive the breath from my lungs. The door clanged shut, the lock turning with a heavy finality. I lay there, bleeding onto the cold stones, too exhausted to move.
Time passed in a blur of pain and semiconsciousness. I must have passed out, because the next thing I knew, the cell door was opening again. I struggled to sit up, pressing my back against the wall for support.
Kaius entered alone, dismissing the guards with a curt nod. The door closed behind him, leaving us in the dim light of a single
torch.
“You might as well take a seat, Elowen,” he said, gesturing to the rough wooden bench against one wall.
My blood ran cold. He knew. Somehow, despite the potion, despite the hood, he’d known all along.
“Would you take the hood off or do you prefer I do that?” he asked, moving toward me.
“Don’t come any closer,” I warned, my voice weak even to my own ears.
“Is that a threat? Didn’t sound much like it.” There was no mockery in his tone, just a calm certainty that I was in no position to make demands.
With trembling fingers, I pulled the hood back, revealing my face. To my horror, tears began streaming down my cheeks unbidden, the combination of pain, fear, and the shock of facing him again breaking through my defenses.
“Elowen, you are crying,” he observed, his expression unreadable.
“I guess this is the point where I am interrogated and tortured for information,” I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. “But I want you to know that I’d rather die than give you a piece of that.”
I don’t plan on doing any of that.”
I blinked in surprise. “Why?” A bitter laugh escaped me. “Would that be because I am ‘special‘ to you? That is your favorite word, isn’t it?”
1/2
Chapter 191:
Kalus moved closet, crouching to examine my wounds. “Elowen, why would you risk your life by coming? Do you think those untrained soldiers could easily sitenk into the pack and out undetected? What if you were killed??
“What if I was killed?” I echoed, incredulous that he would even pretend to care.
“You weren’t thinking about your safety.”
“Who fucking cares about that?” The anger I’d been suppressing burs forth. “I came here because that was the right thing to do. You are hurting people, destroying packs, all for power, I came here to stop you.”
“And you think I am the one behind that?” Something like genuine surprise crossed his features.
“Don’t fucking kid me, Kaius; you want power, and I should have known that; you would do anything for that. The pain was making me light–headed, my thoughts beginning to fragment.
“See it as you wish to. You’ll need a healer for those wounds.” He straightened, moving toward the cell door.
“Why the generosity, Kaius? I hate to believe this is how traitors and offenders are treated.” My words slurred slightly as darkness crept in at the edges of my vision.
“You are not a traitor, Elowen.”
“But I had ordered those soldiers to plant the bomb,” I lied, not wanting the blame to fall on the grieving soldier. “I should be punished.”
“Fortunately, the safe room was empty, no one was hurt,” he said, surprising me again.
“Elowen, I am not behind those killings; I never sent my soldiers to take down those packs.” His voice softened, a note of what sounded like genuine concern creeping in.
“I don’t believe you. I can never believe you.” The room was spinning now, my strength rapidly fading.
“What do I have to do to prove that to you?”
“Just let me go,” I whispered, darkness closing in.
“I
I cannot do that.”
Kaius leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he reached for my hand. I tried to pull away, upward, his fingers brushing against the moonstone ring on my finger.
but
“What is this?” he asked, his voice suddenly tight.
